August photo: Ortiguera old lighthouse

Sometimes we have an image in our head that can only be done on certain days, if conditions allow it. This is one of those images: I saw it in a restaurant, taken by a local photographer, and I wanted to make my own version. It must have been at dawn, the time of year when the sun rises over the sea, to the right of the lighthouse.

The first day we tried it there were strong storms; on the second day the fog was so thick that the lighthouse could hardly be seen; but on the third day the fog was thin enough to see the subject well, and thick enough in the sea to give it that magical touch.

So that the subject would not come out too dark I used a studio flash on the right, with a diffuser head, so that the effect of artificial light would not be too noticeable. I used a high white balance to make the light from the flash warmer and appear more natural.

In the end I got the photo I wanted - or at least a first version.

Fujifilm GFX100s camera. GFX 32-64mm F4 lens. ISO 100, 1/15 and f/10. Godox AD200 Flash. Author: Juan Abal